MASERU — Tempers flared in parliament on Thursday during debate on whether the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology students who were caught with fake certificates last year should be given a second chance. The main opposition Democratic Congress (DC) advocated leniency while the ruling coalition of All Basotho Convention (ABC), Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and the Basotho National Party (BNP) were adamant that they should be sent to prison.

The heated debate started after the Deputy Minister of Education, Apesi Ratšele told DC MP Lineo Molise-Mabusela, that the plan is to see the students going to prison.
Molise-Mabusela had asked the minister to update parliament of “plans to save the Limkokwing students who were expelled due to forged certificates from facing a bleak future”.

“It is quite disturbing that the Honourable Member of Parliament asks the Honourable Minister of Education and Training to apprise this Honourable House of the minister’s plans to salvage their future,” Ratšele said. “The plan is to see them going to prison. That is where they belong,” he said. “We need not to be seen condoning this kind of abhorrable practice. Remember, these people fraudulently gained advantage and admission into our institutions of higher learning which they did not deserve, denying the opportunity to those who deserve.”

Ratšele said “these criminals fraudulently acquired sponsorship from the National Manpower Development Secretariat (NMDS) denying the opportunity to the deserving students.” Standing on point of order, the DC’s Mphosong MP Bataung Leleka complained that Ratšele instead of answering the question he was making a ministerial statement in parliament and wrongly finding the students guilty even before their cases were heard by the courts.

“His is a hard talk of people being sent to prison,” Leleka said. “I don’t know how he found them guilty.” Deputy Sepeaker Lekhetho Rakuoane ruled that Ratšele’s statement was appropriate. “Indeed the people should know that they are going to prison,” Rakuoane said. Molise-Mabusela then asked if the education ministry had not acted prematurely by ensuring that the students are expelled before courts of law found them guilty, to which Ratšele answered that they have just been suspended.

“When the courts find them guilty, as some of them have already been found guilty, they will go to prison where they deserve to be,” Ratšele said. Molise-Mabusela also asked if it was not a waste of public funds to expel students, some of whom have already studied for some years and were performing well. Ratšele answered that it did not matter whether they had spent years studying and were good performers.

“The bottom line was that they are fraudsters worthy of being imprisoned,” he said.
The DC’s Lebakeng MP, Semano Sekatle, wanted Ratšele to assure parliament that since he was determined to see that the fraudsters were jailed, all people with fake certificates will have the same fate “especially the ones he has just employed”. Ratšele said they will go to prison “irrespective of whether they are of the ruling side or the opposition side. They belong there”.

Another DC MP, Popane Lebesa, said Ratšele should assure the House that he would swallow his pride when others are found not guilty. Seemingly annoyed by the exchange between the DC MPs and Ratšele, the Lesotho Workers Party leader Macaefa Billy said the questions asked were promoting corruption. Billy wanted Deputy Speaker Rakuoane to stop DC MPs asking Ratšele further questions, complaining that that was tantamount to promoting corruption.

“Truly I do not believe that this is the policy of parliament, because if we are really MPs it is our duty to reduce corruption,” Billy said. Mootsi Lehata, the DC MP for Makhaleng, complained that Rakuoane allowed Billy to accuse the DC MPs of promoting corruption.

Good people, much as you seem to associate the DC with what Mrs. Lineo Molise-Mabusela and others said, we the DC supporters would like to distance ourselves from their positions of defending fraud. DC e nena fraud le boqhekanyetsi ka litsela tsooohle tsa bona. It is very disturbing for the honourable DC members to have adopted such counter revolutionary positions. Re soabile ke hona.

It never amazes me that those DC MPs condone fraud, corruption and malpractice. In fact that is what DC stands for. Ehlile potoana e emela litsila tse kang tse tjena ka tsena. Now you wonder what type of so-called leaders will stand up in parliament condoning academic fraud. Surely the DC supporters will have a lot of explaining on this. This is the most disgusting peace of shit I have ever read in recent time. Utloang na bo Lineo le bo Semano ba reng hle banna?

1. Molise-Mabusela had asked the minister to update parliament of “plans to save the Limkokwing students who were expelled due to forged certificates from facing a bleak future”. Bosatane
2. Another DC MP, Popane Lebesa, said Ratšele should assure the House that he would swallow his pride when others are found not guilty. Meleko

I am sure those guys in the DC who had to read and sweat hard for their academic success should be dissapointed by this new revelation of what their movement(DC) stands for. Surely this is not what they expected. They never thaught that one day they will be seen to be advocating academic fraud and/or condoning it. Che u li tsabe lipolotiki. Ruri ke ipotsa hore na Mapotoana a feela a ema le maparamente a ona tabeng ena. So DC does not want people to get genuine academic qualifications. Che mehlolo ruri!!!

Point of correction to the officials Limkokwing University has’nt been found as the only institution with student who gained entrance through froadulent means. Truely such people should be found guilty but not all guilty people go to jail but there are other means of punishment worthy for such student including their acomplises

@Patrotic Mosotho, true enough you are correct Limkonkwing is not the only institution(note that I dio not call it university) to be found to have admitted students with fakes credentials. However, the issue with Limkonkwing was that it lowered the standards so low that it only attracted 3rd class or GCE (Not unless you know anyone who passed COSC with first class at Limkonkwing).

I wonder hore na this cheap debate DC/opposition is comming up with is to waist time and avoid serious issues such as amendment of trade,declaration of assets not only by minister but all MP’s block farming of which MP Ramootsi Mokone Lehata confessed to have been involved in fraudly taken some of money from block farming and is paying though with low instalment,also talk on latest scandals surrounding MP Popane Lebesa.I believe the key issue is to deal with corrupt ex-gov official from previous regime with or without favour in coalition gov or not.Fo as long as i know no one is above the law in this country so let law take its measure MP Lineo Molise mabusela unless you have motive bihind this cheap debate

Bahesong, re itse Lineo Molise-Mabusela ha a bue litaba tsa rona ma DC. This Lineo Molise-Mabusela made us lose elections by labelling and insulting the policemen and women as “Ma Form Five a sa rutehang”. On the eve on national elections this Lineo Molise-Mabusela was spitting venom. ‘Na le Mapotoana a heso a ka righting(The liberals) rare “surely we will not win elections with people like Mabusela at the helm. No wonder we lost Hlotse No 13. Now she is on it spitting venom. Again kea le eletsa ma leftists(Conservatives) we should get rid of Lineo Molise and Serialong Qo and Popane Lebesa and Mokose because Lineo can’t win us votes. Qo is uneducated no wonder he once said “Bana ba ma DC ba keke ba bonoa ka lienvelope tse brown seterateng” and Popane Lebesa was corrupt with NMDS and one Bothata Mahlala. Sadly Popane dondones the presence of Chinese in Lesotho. Ntate Moks is weak as a person. Add block farming scandal to the already weak Moks then surely we will not win Kolonyama No.18 and of course the entire Northen Lesotho.

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